September 24, 2009

So, I’ve been obsessed with everything Michael Jackson since his death in June. In the time since, single, white, sequined, rhinestoned, and bedazzled gloves have been auctioned off everywhere. The original MJ glove…the left-handed glove he wore on Motown’s 25th-anniversary TV special in 1983 (when he debuted the moonwalk and sang Billie Jean live) will finally go on the auction-block for many enthusiastic buyers, I’m sure.

I thought about bridal gloves and wondered, how do you get a wedding ring over that??? Wedding gloves are often fingerless today, but many from the 20th century weren’t. Does anyone wear them anymore?

17th century – It was customary among wealthy burghers of the seventeenth century for a future husband to present his fiancee with a pair of gloves upon their engagement. The bride would wear the gloves on her wedding day, only removing them when she gave her pledge, baring her hand for the bridegroom to hold. This luxuriously executed pair of gloves is made of thin white leather. The embroidery on the cuffs – the multicoloured silk, goldthread, pearls and spangles – is in the shape of various symbols associated with love and marriage.

May 29, 2009

The bouquet toss was made popular when reception guests grabbed at the flowers, bridal gown, headpiece…anything she wore to capture a little piece of her joy. It became such a trend that her dress was in shreds by the end of her wedding day. To preserve her gown, she quickly tossed her bouquet to satisfy the crowd and watched the results from afar. A good catch meant the lucky single lady would find the guy of her dreams and soon marry. And the bride could leave her reception fully clothed!

Some brides have opted to ditch the toss altogether because they would rather keep the bouquet as a memento. But all is not lost. Less expensive synthetic bouquets are replacing them. Most of the time, though, they get stuck in the reception hall chandelier. It can be quite entertaining to see everyone waiting in suspense as the caterer inevitably rescues the bouquet from the clutches of crystal drops!

April 3, 2009

Did you know most wedding dresses, up until the late 19th century, were mainly black or dark in color, and worn with a white veil? Even before Goth culture recently revived the trend? I find this intriguing given that my wardrobe is primarily black (with a sprinkling of vivid color to throw folks off the track) and joked that on my wedding day, I’d wear an unapologetically-black bridal gown. Little did I know that black wedding dresses were essentially the norm! Nevertheless our brief (150 year plus) fascination with white wedding gowns seems to be the new norm. Will we ever see a day when brides rock black again? I’m not sure, but I do adore this black dress/white veil combo!

January 6, 2009

I must admit, occasionally I do indulge in vintage You Tube clips of classic soap operas. I was delighted to find Luke & Laura’s infamous wedding episode from 1981. Besides the notably long monologues and sweeping dramatic scenes, what struck me most about the episode was Laura’s GIGANTIC puffed-sleeved wedding gown. The absence of bare shoulders and arms in yesteryear’s bridalwear, got me thinking…

Where did the sleeves go? Where are the puffed ones, pleated ones, capped ones, slitted ones…dolman sleeves, ruffled sleeves…sleeves with shoulder pads, sleeves with crinoline, sleeves with fringe & epaulets? Have they been permanently abandoned and left in the 80s with Luke & Laura, Dynasty, and the royal nuptials of Charles & Diana?Subscribe in a reader